


The Ghost of Love

by orphan_account



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/M, Near Death Experiences, Self-Harm, but that's not like The Story?, darkles be stuntin, it revolves around healing and redemption and love!, uhhh alina hates mal as much as we do
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-12 16:08:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19949047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Alina's grief over the Darkling nearly costs her, her life. When he shows up at the last minute to save her she clings to the ghost of their love.





	The Ghost of Love

Alina hadn’t eaten in two days, Mal had offered to make her whatever she wanted. She’d managed sweet tea, and then been so upset that it reminded her of Aleksander that she’d been sick. Alina could only see the blackness of her grief. Mal was upset, he didn’t want her to die. Alina didn’t give a good goddamn what Mal wanted.

So over the next day, she decided she would like to die among the apple orchards. Mal had nearly forbidden it, and then Alina had given him such a forlorn look that he’d simply stepped aside, but of course he needed to get the last word in, “You wouldn’t have stopped eating if it was me who died.”

She laughs and then decides that it’s time to die.

She’s laying in the grass under the apple trees, and the pain of not eating is like the cut, slicing and dicing her from the inside. She wouldn’t want it to be easy, she needed to hurt as much as Aleksander had hurt.

She thinks she’s died when the coolness of shadows brush against her cheeks. “I’m coming home to you.” She mutters as her eyes close.

“You’re not going anywhere.” A voice that cuts at her soul says.

No. No. It can’t be him.

“Alina look at me,” his voice is level and is that a touch of concern she hears?

Her eyes snap open and she’s peering into the grey fathoms of his eyes, he helps her sit up, and pushes a little broth into her mouth, she wants to drink it all but Aleksander stops her after just a few sips. “Alina, I’m not worth dying over.” His tone conveys only his disapproval.

Alina leans against his shoulder, she is limp and boneless. Her muscles have begun dissolving to keep her alive.

“You need to see a healer immediately,” Aleksander says, there’s a note of alarm at how quiet and unmoving she is. So he carries her to his personal healer whom he’d brought with him. It takes nearly a day and night to stabilize her. The healer has to repair damage to her heart.

The heart he’d destroyed.

When she wakes up she does not recognize where she is, she calls out, “Aleksander?”

His grey rough spun tunic comes into view and he kisses her forehead, “I was worried you wouldn’t make it through the night.”

She is tired, but not in pain, “You faked your death…”

His jaw ticks and it seems she’s taken him by surprise, “Alina, my darling, we are infinite. I have faked my death dozens of times, I didn’t think you’d honestly believe I was dead.”

“Well, I did.”

“I came as soon as I heard.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again, what about Mal?”

“I have no intention of doing that again unless you feel the need to kill me again?” He gave her a look and then continued, “Mal needs no intervention, the hand of time will wipe him from the face of the Earth.”

Alina sighs, “I want to write him a letter.”

“Later when you’re feeling better.”

“Alright, but please, let me handle this.”

He responds only by patting her head and kissing both her cheeks.

**Author's Note:**

> pls leave comments/kudos if you enjoyed!


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